Nation to the USG requesting defense equipment, systems, and/or services. An LOA is a letter from the USG to a Partner Nation that identifies the equipment, systems, or services to be provided for purchase or transfer in response to the Partner Nation’s LOR. Both letters require signatures from a senior government official of the Partner Nation who has responsi - bility for foreign military purchases. In most cases, signature authority for the Partner Nation is its counterpart to the U.S. Secretary of War. For FMS cases managed by the U.S. Air Force, signature authority is held by the Di - rector of the Air Force Security Assis - tance and Cooperation Directorate. Prior to signing the LOR and the LOA, various formal and informal meetings, discussions, and commu - nications take place between the in-country SCOs, the FMS Case and Program Officers (FMSOs), and Part - ner Nation officials to clarify the pre - cise materiel and/or service require - ments desired by the Partner Nation. The purpose of these exchanges is to help the Partner Nation specifically articulate requirements and gener - ate an executable LOR. These Pre-LOR/LOA engagements —where SCOs personally engage with Partner Nation officials and address security challenges that may arise— are the FMS mechanism for estab - lishing, developing, and strength - ening bilateral political-military relationships. These relationships in turn help shape the strategic and operational environments. Cases transition to Stage 2, sus - tainment and closure, after the LOA is signed by the Partner Nation offi - cial and the funds to execute the case are received by the USG. Sustainment includes broadening or narrowing the scope of the LOA, according to the Partner Nation’s needs, manag - ing production and delivery, and administering case funds. The case is closed when it no longer requires sustainment, the funding account(s) are balanced, and the Partner Nation consents to its closure.
Figure 1. FMS Case Life Cycle
Pre LOR
Case Development
Case Accepted
Case Preparation
Case Offered
LOR Receipt
Requirement Definition
Anticipated Offer Date (AOD)
Time Depends on Country, Type Case, and Completeness of Request
Transportation Issues
Transition to Source of Supply
Consumables, Spares, Repairs
Case Execution
Requisitions Extract
Requisitions Initiated
Material Supply & Shipment
Case Implemented
Major System
Acquisition
Title Transfer Point
Contract Definitization/ Execution
Major Platform Initial Supoort Delivered
Contract Award
No Requisitions Until Now
Case Closure
Closure Certificate Issued Goal: Close within 2 years of NSSC
Case Closure Certificate
Case Reconciliation
Source. Air Force Security Assistance and Cooperation Directorate (AFSAC). Note. FMS = Foreign Military Sales; LOR = Letter of Request; NSSC = Notice of Services/Supply Complete.
Figure 2. Foreign Military Sales Stages
Request & Acceptance (STAGE 1) Letter of Request (LOR)
Letter of Acceptance (LOA)
Sustainment & Closure (STAGE 2)
Sustainment
Closure
Source: Author
Political-Military Environment The political-military environ - ment broadly consists of the various forums, settings, and circumstances in which U.S. and Partner Nation mili - tary officials, personnel, and units in - teract. These interactions take many forms, including meetings and confer - ences on military subjects or issues; participation in military training, ex - ercises, and operations; working rela - tions between functional personnel;
and formal and informal discussions between SCOs, FMSOs, attaches, or foreign area officers (FAOs) and host nation officials. For FMS purposes, the political- military environment between the United States and Partner Nations may generally be assessed on a slid - ing scale of 0 to 100, negative to pos - itive. Zero (0) indicates deliberately uncooperative, 50 is neutral, and 100 is deliberately cooperative.
46 DEFENSE ACQUISITION MAGAZINE | MAY – JUNE 2026
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